[instrumental music]
[male #1] 'Okay, this can't happen again.'
'This mask is not where it was supposed to be.'
The flowers were not where they're supposed to be.
So this needs to be on stage left.
'This needs be on stage right.'
'And that's that-how that works.'
[male #2] 'Arms, make your last embrace.'
'And lips, you are the doors of breath.'
Seal with a righteous kiss
the deal I have made with death forever.
And then in this part, I go in for the kiss.
Ah, Romeo, don't get ahead of yourself.
See you on set.
[ female #1 ] So here's my take on a high school
veteran journalist that I am.
Just about everything we do, we do because we are afraid.
[male #3] 'Hey, Angela, over here.'
Afraid of not being able to get into college.
Afraid of not being able to pay for college.
Afraid of not being able to meet our parents' expectations.
Afraid of being socially isolated.
Afraid of our futures. Afraid of our pasts.
Afraid of being alone.
Jordan, Angela, let me get a pic.
Smile.
And even though a part of me knows that these fears are
for the most part, suburban, cry me a river
hashtag stop-whining-like a-little-baby type problems
it is also true that sometimes
our fear is completely justified.
My dear Juliet.
Why are you still so beautiful?
[softly] Did you get good pics?
Oh, sorry for asking.
[Jordan] 'I'll forget about all the bad luck'
that has troubled me.
Eyes, look out for the last time.
Arms, make your last embrace.
And lips, you are the doors to breath.
- Powerful performance. - Nate.
Well, seriously though, Jordan just oozes masculinity.
He's like Brando out there.
And Angela is Juliet.
I mean, she plays comatose really well.
She's actually almost making me forget
the degree to which she's a full-blown bitch.
[chuckles] Stop.
Come, bitter poison.
Come, unsavory guide, you desperate pilot.
Set the sea-weary ship into the rocks.
Here's to my love.
Oh.
'That pharmacist was honest.'
His drugs work quickly.
So I die with a kiss.
[gags]
Romeo?
Jordan?
'Jordan!'
[gags]
[Angela] Somebody, help me!
[bell rings]
[female #2] 'When a free radical is introduced to a closed system'
the potential result is an explosive chemical reaction.
[knocks] Excuse me, Jane, if I may?
Uh, yes, Ms. Pope.
Hi, everyone.
So, we've all been through a very traumatic experience
with the death of Jordan.
And I would like to introduce Emily Hodges.
She's a grief counselor.
[scoffs] This is gonna be awkward.
Is your mom counseling or grieving--
- Shut up. - I'm just saying.
[Emily] Hi.
I know many of you are feeling anxiety..
...stress, deep loss, and sadness.
These feelings are very hard to process
and they are completely normal.
Please come talk to me.
I have an office next to Ms. Pope's
and my door is always open.
And on a final note
there will likely be reporters poking around here
over the next few days asking questions about Jordan.
I wanna be very clear.
No one is to talk to the media.
Let's just keep this within the Westbrook family.
Thank you, Jane.
[indistinct chatter]
Must be so weird.
What? Being the grief counselor's daughter
and having her right here all up in my business?
Oh, yeah. It's delightful.
[scoffs] Come on, you guys are so tight.
See, but I'm working on the whole teen angst thing
and I feel like I should be saying she sucks.
- Hey, Nate. - What am I, chopped liver?
Wait for it. God, almost..
Wait for it.
Yeah. Got it. Yeah.
Nate, that's so mean.
It's all part of my charm.
Dude, show them the one from the play.
Oh, of Jordan? Slightly less charming.
- 'Little horrific, actually.' - Oh, I can't look at these.
Jordan was my first "#SquadGoals" interview.
That's so sad.
So what, they're saying it was his peanut allergy?
It's so weird you can die from that.
I don't even get how it happened.
He was so vigilant about it.
I mean, the whole school was.
There was nothing in the lunchroom.
Nothing in the vending machines.
I know, it's so unfair. I haven't had a Snickers bar
since, like, middle school.
I'm just saying my rights have been violated.
Rumor has it, this totally opens up the scholarship.
Yeah, Jordan was a shoo-in.
You mean, the whole World Patrons thing?
Oh, it's a sweet deal. I mean, full books
and board, everything.
Hey, maybe I have a shot now.
Probably better shot than I do.
Wrong. You're perfect for it.
The top citizen at Westbrook. That's a laugh.
So, uh, how's the yearbook going, by the way?
Oh, it's fine. Whatever.
It's genius. People are actually gonna buy it this year.
- Stop. - 'I'm serious.'
Interviewing every clique. I love it.
You got the granolas, the emos, the nerds.
Hello!
[chuckles] But how am I supposed to focus
on the yearbook when this whole death by peanut thing
is so suspicious, right?
- Little bit, yeah. - What do you mean?
He had an allergy. I mean, people die from that.
We even had an assembly about it.
I'm not denying he had an allergy, Gill.
- It's just.. Pope-- - Is a horrible person?
That, and the fact that the first thing she said
was don't talk to the media.
That's something you say when you're trying
'to cover something up.'
Yeah, remember the whole media blackout thing
after the grade inflation?
I mean, she's a total corporate robot.
You guys are so paranoid.
I'm just saying, my Spidey sense is tingling.
- It is weird. - Oh, you mean Rudy?
Well, yeah, Rudy. But, the whole Jordan thing.
I mean, somebody should dig into it.
Sounds like a job for you, girl.
- What? - You're the reporter.
I mean, look, we already have to do interviews.
You might as well kill two birds with one stone.
'See if your Spidey sense is on point.'
- I like it. - Sweet.
Let's you and me do some interviews.
So, what do you know?
Not much more than I told you last night.
The police department isn't going to investigate?
Let's talk in my office.
The police are saying they still have some unanswered questions.
And, uh, I am going to do everything I can
to get to the bottom of this.
But this is a particularly delicate situation.
So, when you talk to the kids
I'm gonna need you to tell me everything that you find out.
[chuckles] Well, what the kids say in session with me is confidential.
'Unless it's relevant to a crime.'
And we wouldn't want anything hurting your daughter's school
would we?
No.
Of course not.
Look, I'm not asking you to do anything illegal.
I just need you to be my eyes and ears out there.
And if you hear something, I wanna know about it first.
[knock on door]
- Samantha. - Hey.
How long have you been standing there?
Oh, just got here.
Um, I'm doing a story for "Squad Goals"
and I was wondering if I could talk to you.
Of course, let me just take your mom to her office.
You can wait here.
I'll be completely candid.
The Reynolds happen to be huge financial supporters for us.
Very connected to the Westbrook community.
So, the last thing we need is for an intrusive investigation
to trigger our biggest backers to pull their support.
Would they do that?
Trust me, I've been at the school for 19 years.
Investigations like this almost always
lead to reckless accusations.
And when one donor pulls out, it can start an avalanche.
There goes our funding, our charter and our jobs.
Okay.
I'll do what I can to try and help.
That's all I'm asking.
Let me know if you need anything else.
Okay. Samantha, how can I help you?
This will only take a minute, I promise.
It's for "Squad Goals" and I'm on a deadline.
Um, okay, well, I should tell you now though
I don't know the results of the student council--
Oh, actually, I'm not here for that.
What I'd like to know is..
'Um..'
You know what, I'm really busy right now.
Why don't we reschedule this--
Is it true that
it would be better for you
I mean, for the school
if Jordan's death is ruled an accident
'rather than something else?'
What, what do you mean, something else?
Uh, I don't know, I just--
'That's right. You don't know.'
And that was an extremely inappropriate question.
I don't think your mother would appreciate that either.
I was just asking--
'You know, why don't you just go on back to class'
and I will try to forget
just how immensely disrespectful you were.
'For the record, Samantha'
Jordan's death was an accident..
...and it was tragic.
[Gill] Hey, wait up!
What's so funny?
I was just thinking, Nate
remember how you used to follow me around everywhere
in elementary school?
- Nate? - Yeah?
- What are you looking at? - Uh, nothing.
Uh, hey, what did Pope say?
Did she reveal anything sinister?
Totally seems like she's hiding something.
And I did manage to get a copy
of the World Patron Scholarship finalists.
- No way. - Are you serious? Let me see.
So after Jordan, Brittany's next?
Damn, I'm sixth right after Sam.
Hey, I can't even believe I'm on it.
So, doing the math, if I decide to forego sleep
for, you know, ever, and work 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
every day of the week including weekends and holidays
I could afford to pay for college by, what, year 3000?
I'm in the same boat.
Well, not the early admission boat
that you two geniuses are in but still..
I promise. I'll talk to my parents.
They're on the selection committee.
We're going to college together.
I'm not a charity case, Gill.
I mean, plus, your parents hate me, so..
We'll figure it out.
So, Brittany is the favorite for the scholarship.
It's 'cause she raised 12 grand?
- From a car wash? - 'You know, big deal.'
So they hem their skirts and overcharge creepy old men--
- 'And Rudy.' - To wash their cars.
Real hero of our times.
I spent 30 bucks on that car wash.
- It was worth every penny. - Geez.
Ready? Okay!
[all] A-T-T-A-C-K, attack, attack, attack!
[cheering]
Now, that Brittany's on the top of the scholarship list
we need to figure out what she knows.
Only one way to find out. Let's do an interview.
Hey, guys, good job. I think, just, you know
a few more practices, I think we'll be ready to go.
- Yeah. - Um, Brittany. Uh, hey.
I'm Sam. We're in bio?
Oh, yeah, you're from the "Squad Goals" blog, right?
Uh, actually, Nate and I are both in charge of it.
He's doing visuals and I'm--
Making us look good for posterity?
- Exactly. Um, got a minute? - Sure.
We just feel like we should get to know the teams and clubs
personally and get to know what you're all about.
Awesome.
Um, how would you define
"#SquadGoals" for the cheer squad?
Well, and this might sound a little braggy
but I like to think of us as the heart and soul of the school.
And I know the stereotype is that
we're silly, slutty, and stupid
but, that's not us.
We get great grades, we volunteer
and we support our teams.
And I love basketball, so, it's great.
And forgive me for sounding like a gossip site
but aside from loving basketball
is there a particular player that you--
- 'Me and Lance?' - Yeah.
Yeah, he's my boo.
Uh, humble brag, he's gonna be playing college ball
for a really great school.
- Wow, that's awesome. - Yeah.
[Samantha] 'And do you have any personal goals?'
Veterinary medicine.
If I get the World Patron Scholarship.
Otherwise, it's community college
until I raise the right amount of fundage.
Uh, last question.
Uh, how do you feel about Jordan
'with everything that's happened?'
Oh, um..
Yeah, that really is a tragedy, isn't it?
I didn't know him very well.
He and Lance were pretty close though. You should ask him.
Um, listen, I have to get back to drills
but I love your jacket.
Oh.
Let's go talk to Lance.
College basketball stud. You got a crush?
He's the next on the list.
[sighs] Are you gonna behave yourself?
Can I just say that
that really is a nice jacket.
Thanks.
Oh, there he is.
Hi, Lance.
- What's up, Lance? - Hey, guys, how's it goin'?
Uh, hey, Brittany texted me about your "Squad Goals" piece.
Oh, yeah. Is it okay if Nate videos while I interview you?
Yeah. Uh, I don't know that I have anything interesting to say
but, sure.
Brittany just said that you're gonna be
playing some college ball.
She's a talker. But, thanks, yeah, we'll see.
You don't sound very excited.
Oh, no, I am, and they're offering me
a pretty sweet financial aid package too.
Not enough. Uh, it's gonna be pretty tight moneywise.
But, if I get that scholarship
'then I should be able to swing it.'
Uh, I'm sorry, you probably want
something a little more quotable.
Um, how 'bout, uh, I got a great girlfriend
and we have the best high school with the best students
and teachers, coaches.
Westbrook's really made me who I am today.
I'm truly blessed.
Bringin' on the cliches.
Okay, look, I'm sorry. Um..
I mean, basketball's been really good to me, you know?
Ra-ra, right? But..
It's not who I am.
I mean, uh, yeah, it's a part of it
'but it's not me.'
There's just..
I'm sorry, I am rambling.
No, actually, you're the first person I've interviewed
that said anything remotely real.
We're also asking everybody about Jordan.
Can you talk about that?
Uh, you know, I didn't really know him all that well.
Oh, really? Brittany said you guys were friends.
I don't know how she figured that.
Uh, look, I gotta get back to practice.
But, thanks, guys.
Thanks.
What was that all about?
Not a happy fellow.
Why? He's got everything.
- You know something. - No, I don't.
Dude, I'm a reporter. I know BS when I see it
and you are BSing me.
I might have heard a few things, yeah.
- Like what? - I don't do gossip, Sam.
Okay.
I'm more of a straight-ahead prick.
[laughs]
[dramatic music]
[rumbling]
[door opens]
Hello?
[rumbling]
Anybody there?
[intense music]
- Hey, mom. - 'Hey, mom?'
[Emily] 'Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait. Stop.'
Hey, mom?
That's all I'm gonna get?
Well, um, love you?
- You okay? - Yeah, I'm fine. I'm good.
Uh-huh, you don't seem fine.
No, really. Um, school's just a little crazy, that's all.
Well, I had a little chat with Ms. Pope this afternoon
and guess what the subject was.
- Me? - Mm-hm.
Why on earth would you accuse your principal
who is my boss, by the way, of a crime?
That is what you did, right?
I wasn't accusing her of anything, mom.
I was just asking if may--
If she was complicit
in a criminal conspiracy that resulted in a young man's death.
I'm just trying to figure out exactly what happened
because apparently, no one else is.
- Excuse me? - I'm just saying.
It doesn't seem like anyone's the slightest bit interested
in getting to the bottom of Jordan's death.
All Ms. Pope cares about is test scores
and appearances and--
You are not even 18. How are you such a cynic?
I'm a reporter and we're not getting the full story.
You are not a reporter yet.
You are a high school student
'with a chance to get into college.'
All I'm saying is don't blow it.
Please? And..
...apologize to Ms. Pope first thing in the morning.
Okay?
Okay.
I gotta go upstairs.
And then you're coming right back down for dinner.
- 'Yeah.' - Yes.
'Yes.'
[sighs]
No, no, no, no, of course. Of course.
Ye-yes, and please know that I am doubling down
on my efforts to make Westbrook High School
the safest high school in the city.
[laughs] Okay. B-bye.
[knocks]
Oh, God. Sam, what is it?
- May I come in? - 'Yes, you may.'
I just wanted to say I'm so sorry
about our conversation yesterday.
'I didn't mean to imply anything about anything.'
I'm just upset, we all are
and I guess I was just trying
to sort through some stuff, you know.
'Figure stuff out.'
Okay, well, next time you need to sort through some stuff
I suggest you sort it through with your mother.
I will.
You need to watch your step, Samantha.
Just because your mom works here now
doesn't give you free reign to treat adults with disrespect.
[sighs] How you doing, man? You okay?
Yeah, I'm good. A little creeped out.
But that's pretty normal around here.
Yeah, me too.
I mean, everybody's grieving.
- And I've been thinking. - That's a first.
You know what would really help everyone?
I mean, what would, what would start the healing process?
- What? - A massive blowout party.
Dude, my parents are going out of town tonight.
Yeah? You should invite everyone.
Hell, yeah, Nate. And bring your camera
'cause it's gonna be insane.
Hey, look at this picture of Sam.
Yeah, it's cute. What about it?
You think she'll be at your party?
Her mom's on the strict trip.
- Ah, dude. - What?
Come on, are you gonna ask Sam out
or you're just gonna keep annoying the crap out of me?
Okay, well, one, those aren't mutually exclusive.
- And, two, I will ask her out. - When?
I'm laying the groundwork. I need a little time.
You're laying the groundwork, how?
Yeah, I told her she has a nice jacket.
Oh, and I thought I had no game.
It's a process, dude. I'm just laying seed here.
Laying seed?
Now we gotta let it grow.
At least something's getting laid.
[sighs] Let me see the picture.
It is really nice.
Okay, guys, let's talk Axis II.
When we're talking about Axis II disorders
and that term is rapidly becoming antiquated
what we're talking about are personality disorders.
Thank you, Rudy. Please have a seat.
'Borderline, paranoid, antisocial, narcissistic'
'all real fun stuff.'
I've got good news, my friend.
And it probably describes about two-thirds
of the student body at my last high school.
- What? - 'I'm just kidding.'
I'm having a party tomorrow night.
Rudy!
Do you have something to share with the class?
Oh, uh, yes. I, I'm having a party tomorrow night
and I'd love for you to come.
Okay, well, I'm flattered, but that ain't gonna happen.
'Now, back to the lesson.'
'Big generalization coming'
'but for a lot of these maladaptive personalities'
do you know what the most common shared traits are?
Of course, selfishness and grandiosity
thinking you're the bee's knees are tied for first
but the other trait that you always see is sarcasm.
Now, write this down.
'Sarcasm is really just hostility disguised as humor.'
[Lance on video] 'I mean, yeah, it's a part, but it's not me.'
[Samantha on video] 'We're also asking everybody about Jordan.'
Um, I-I didn't really know him all that well.
Look, I gotta, I gotta get back to practice.
Thanks.
[Samantha on video] 'Thanks.'
[Rudy] 'I invited your mom, but she told me'
she's not gonna come.
Enjoying my computer?
Shared all the pics for the paper.
- We're on deadline, Natie. - Some of those are personal.
Come on, I've know you since kindergarten.
How personal can it get?
But seriously, you've been doing some really good work.
- So artistic. - See, I'm artsy.
So how is the investigation coming along?
Uh, you know, no solid leads yet.
We need to do a lot more footwork, but..
You could do some digging at my party.
Everyone's coming.
Did he mention he's having a party?
I'm having a party.
Oh, damn. I am late for PE.
See you later, Nate.
[sighs] Dude, she's so into you. I mean, did you see her shirt?
There's literally cameras on the shirt.
Yeah, I mean, well, but..
- But Sam. - Yeah.
Hey, guys.
I'm gonna handle this for you, brah.
Sam, Nate. Nate, Sam.
Sam, Nate has something he wants to tell you.
And I'm a ghost.
'Ladies.'
Okay, I'm gonna say something to you.
Okay.
But before I do, let me just say that I had a plan
to wait for the perfect moment, you know, like a movie moment
where we could be in a situation, like
one of those cool situations, and I could spontaneously--
I have no idea what you're talking about.
Me either. Let me just start over.
So, you know I'm a big, bitter, sarcastic
dark doofus, right?
- Right. - 'Wow, this is embarrassing.'
Uh, I'm a big dark doofus who has a big, big crush on you.
There, I said it. Now Rudy can leave me alone.
And don't say anything. We're friends, I know.
You can just, you know, sit with it for a bit
humor me, and then reject me later.
Can I say something now?
Please do.
I have a crush on you too.
- You do? - I do, dufus.
Well, then that's pretty awesome.
But, we can't do anything.
You've got to talk to Gillian.
'She has a major crush on you.'
No kidding.
Look, she's my best friend
and I'm not about to sneak around behind her back.
Talk to her.
Uh, man, okay.
Nate, if you want any of this
you gotta do the right thing.
All over it. I will talk to her at the party.
Okay.
[chuckles]
[upbeat music]
[indistinct chatter]
[laughter]
- Welcome to Rudy's paradise. - Thank you.
Ladies, we have a date for a rendezvous
in exactly four drinks. Capeesh? Capeesh? Alright.
Yeah! It is on.
Shall we retreat to my secret chamber?
- Okay. - Come on.
Holy crap. It is loud out there.
You asked for it, my man.
Yeah, but what the hell's the matter with you?
You know I have no judgment. You're supposed to stop me
when I come up with this kind of stuff.
Um, what's with all the weapons?
Oh, it's, uh, it's my dad's hobby.
But listen, nobody but us is allowed in this room, okay?
I can handle the beatings for the general house damage.
But anything in here, and I'll never see the light of day.
Look, Sam, let's get out of here.
This place is creeping me out.
Alright, let's go find you a woman of loose morals.
Yes, that.
[upbeat music]
Whoa!
Wow, okay, boss. Whoa!
I'm not your boss. I need to talk to you.
[screaming on TV]
- So, what's up? - I need to ask you something.
- Okay, shoot. - Okay.
So, I know you and Sam are
I don't know, flirting, which..
I get, I guess. I mean, she's so cute and--
- Gillian, we're-- - Let me finish.
I mean, we've been friends since kindergarten.
I think I deserve a little bit of attention.
I need to know how you feel about me.
Hey, Gill.
Hey.
- You okay? - Yeah, I'm fine.
I'm going to the bathroom.
- Is that okay. - Well, do you want me to come?
It's okay, Sam. I've been going by myself since I was six.
- Hey, have you seen Nate? - Nah. Check upstairs, maybe.
Hey, Brittany, have you seen Nate?
You okay?
Yeah.
Um..
Hey, Sam. Um, I'm sorry.
It's just..
Why are you crying?
I came up here to fix my lipstick and, um..
What?
[sobs] I found this in my bag.
- Is that.. - Jordan kissing my boyfriend?
Yeah.
Who would give this to you?
Well, it wasn't Lance.
I just talked to him about it and he said that
'he doesn't know how it got there.'
Honestly, right now, I really don't care.
I'm so sorry, Brittany.
The truth is, it's not really a huge surprise to me.
Obviously, Jordan was..
...pretty obvious.
'And Lance and I..'
He told me before that he had these..
[sniffles] ...feelings, you know, about himself
which is fine.
You know, feelings or feelings
and I'm not judgmental
but this is just making me look like a fool.
Brittany.
Leave me alone, Lance.
Do you want me to talk to him?
Whatever.
Okay.
Hey, check this out.
Oh, hey, so, I saw Gillian.
I guess you talked to her.
Yeah, it was pretty brutal. You wanna talk?
Later. I gotta find Lance.
Hello?
Who's there?
Lance?
No, that's, that's fine, I mean..
- Have you seen Lance? - What?
Have you seen Lance?
I, no, I, I haven't got in anybody's pants.
I'm just kidding. Okay?
I.. I, no. I mean, I haven't seen Lance.
Why, what-what's the..
[indistinct screaming]
- 'What happened?' - 'Did you see that?'
[male #4] 'Get an ambulance.'
Brittany.
[sobs] No, I'm so sorry.
[sobbing]
- So you just turned 18? - Uh, last week.
Happy birthday to me, right?
I'm sorry. I'm really nervous.
There's no need to be nervous, son.
'You just need to tell me the truth.'
I don't really know the truth.
I was having some people over.
Were you serving alcohol?
Serving alcohol? No.
I was not serving alcohol.
There's alcohol everywhere.
I mean, if people brought alcohol, I don't know.
I'm not...the poli.. Whatever.
I was having some people over.
Word got out on social media
and things got a little outta control.
A little outta control?
A girl died in your driveway.
Where are your parents?
They were gone for the weekend, but they're coming back now.
Okay, you just tell me everything you know.
She was in my sister's room, I think.
I don't really know what was going on.
To be honest, I barely knew the girl.
Apparently, she was upset.
I-I don't really know why or what happened.
Boy, you better give me something better than that.
[sniffles]
The cops were all over me.
They scar.
- They let you go? - Yeah, of course.
Why wouldn't they?
You think I had something to do with it?
No, no. I-I was.. I didn't mean to imply--
Yeah, you say that, but how come it sounds
like you don't believe me?
I do believe you.
I was just..
I need to talk to you about something else.
Brittany showed me the picture of you and Jordan.
I don't know what to tell you.
I've j.. I've just been dealing..
[sobs] Jordan was my best friend.
[sobs]
I don't know what to call it.
I know what my dad would call it, but..
I had nothing to do with that, with that photo.
Why would I want Brittany to find something like that anyway?
I wouldn't want to hurt her.
I can't believe she's dead.
First Jordan, now Brittany.
[sobs]
[Samantha] 'First Jordan, now Brittany.'
'What's happening?'
It's like everything is spinning out of control.
Yeah, I know. Everything's been pretty crazy.
Yeah. Are you okay?
[sighs] 'I've been better.'
So, we should talk.
- What about? - 'Nate.'
What about him?
He told me he had a crush on me yesterday.
'I told Nate he had to talk to you.'
He had to be honest.
'Whatever, Sam. I don't care, he's yours.'
Well, but this is not how I want--
This is how stuff goes, okay?
Some people win, other people lose.
It's a long game. I'll get over it.
I'm so sorry.
This sucks.
Yeah, sure does.
But it is what it is.
- So, are we still friends? - 'Of course.'
You just have to give me a minute to get over it.
[Emily] 'You wanna tell me what happened?'
I don't really know.
Um, I was just trying to help a friend.
Turns out her boyfriend was..
Well, I don't, I don't really wanna get into it all.
Was he cheating on her?
With another guy.
Oh.
- Who? - Do you know Lance Hobart?
The basketball player?
Apparently, he was in love with Jordan Reynolds.
That's tough.
Yeah, so Brittany found out about it
and I was just trying to help her out.
Honey..
...were you with Brittany when she fell?
[sobs] No.
I was downstairs talking to Rudy.
- Were you drinking? - Mom.
Was Brittany?
I don't know.
She fell out of the window.
And you're sure she fell?
Yeah.
I know that what I'm about to say..
...is hard to hear.
Do you think that there's any chance that she could've jumped?
I don't know.
Oh, sweetie. Come here.
[sniffles]
I'm so sorry.
[bell rings]
This is unbelievable.
Two deaths in less than a month.
It's more than I've had in 19 years.
'We've got to get ahead of this.'
Well, I've reached out to Mr. Gomez and Mr. Reynolds
and they're both coming in for counseling.
That's not the problem, Emily.
These donor parents are not going to be happy
with another incident.
Especially if it's a suicide.
We've gotta, uh, we've gotta call them.
We've gotta reassure them that, that, that, that
that it was an accident.
But-but we don't know that it--
That it was an isolated incident
and that we are looking into every--
But we don't know that it was an accident.
[scoffs] Not knowing is not gonna fly with these parents.
Oh, God, it's probably been blasted out
on every social media site by now.
[cellphone rings]
Oh, crap.
Hello.
No, I have no comment.
We will let you know when we have more information to share.
[sighs] My sixth call since 5:30.
[cellphone chimes]
[dramatic music]
Nate?
Are you messing with me?
[thud]
[gasps]
Wow. Don't usually have that kind of effect on women.
This isn't funny. You scared the hell out of me.
I'm sorry. Are you okay?
No. Where were you?
You said you were gonna be in the old shop.
I know. I got held up for class by Perkins.
Well, I'm pretty sure somebody's following me.
Somebody's following you? Really?
Definitely.
I know someone was with me in the old shop.
This is just too creepy.
It feels like just yesterday, everything was great.
Now, all of a sudden, my best friend hates my guts
and it seems like the school is haunted by a serial killer.
So, what are we gonna do?
I just can't stop thinking about Jordan.
How the hell did he get exposed to freakin' peanuts?
You said it before, we were all so careful.
Wait a minute. What was the last thing that touched his lips?
The poison?
Yeah, but the poison was water. We know it was tested.
What else?
Angela's lips.
So, I'm flattered that you wanna interview me
but isn't the "Squad Goal" thing just for seniors?
Well, we're actually planning on doing a segment
called "Squads In The Making." So, we thought of you.
Okay, cool.
So, what do you wanna talk about?
Well, you've been the stage manager
for all the school plays this year?
- Uh-huh. - That's pretty impressive.
Don't they usually give that job to a senior?
I don't know if it's impressive, but, I guess they like my work.
- Can I get a tour? - Sure.
Yeah, so, check this out.
What show are you guys doing next?
- We get to do "Hamilton." - Really?
Yeah. It's so exciting. Oh, my gosh.
You have to check out this jacket we made.
- Wait, you guys made that? - Yeah.
- 'Oh, my God!' - 'Doesn't it look so vintage?'
- Yeah, I love the buttons. - Right?
Thank you. We found a button store.
[laughing]
Um, is that the "Romeo And Juliet" stuff?
Yeah, well, whatever wasn't taken evidence is still there.
Well, I mean, I guess you don't really need the masks, right?
- 'Hey, you can pull that off.' - Thank you, it's my new look.
[Samantha] 'And this is Juliet's, right?'
Yeah, Angela. Such a piece of work.
- Really? - Yeah.
Sorry.
- It's cool. - 'I'm such a klutz.'
[female #3] 'It happens, like, all the time, actually.'
- 'Really?' - 'Yeah.'
Oh, uh, you know what? I am actually running so late.
It's okay, don't worry about it.
'Can we finish this later?'
Yeah, you know where to find me.
- Okay. - Okay.
- Hey. - Hello.
Hey. How's everything going at home?
Well, aside from my folks being called home
from a romantic weekend getaway
'because there was a dead body in the driveway..'
And, oh, did I mention that not one but two of my dad's
cherished antique knives were stolen from his office
the office that I told you to not let anybody into..
Well, aside from that, I guess you could say
that everything is just hunky-dory, thank you.
How long do you think it'll take
to get the results from the lipstick?
Seriously, dude?
Hey, that sucks.
Yeah, I'm grounded for a freakin' month.
Sorry, man.
Um, did the police ever follow up with you or anything?
I mean, what can they say? I-I, I didn't break any laws.
You were with me when she fell and even the cops said that
I can't control what anyone brings in or does to the house.
So, at least that's under control.
Hey, well, at least there's something positive.
Yeah, alright. Let's get to this.
Anybody else getting like a "Nancy Drew's" mystery vibe?
'Here? Now? Okay, well..'
Start off with five milliliters of distilled water.
Alright, then add three drops of buffer concentrate.
'One, two, three.'
Add that to a test tube.
Alright.
Then, we swab the lipstick.
'Hm.'
Shake well.
Okay. Add a test strip.
And in just a second, we will find out if you are pregnant.
- You're hilarious. - Chill, Sam, I got this.
Voila, positive for peanut residue.
- Who the hell did this? - Do you think Angela did this?
- Oh, no way. - I mean, she's pretty horrible.
Yeah, but she's not a murderer.
Look, I'm not saying she intentionally killed him.
Maybe somebody else messed with her lipstick
knowing Jordan was gonna kiss her?
Well, and there's no way she needed the money.
I'm like 99 percent certain
but she was the one with peanut oil on her lips.
Let's go talk to her.
Yeah, I'll just clean all this up. Thanks, guys.
Don't tell anyone I came in here, okay?
Doctor-patient confidentiality.
I promise.
'So how are you?'
[sighs] On a scale of one to ten, one.
One being horrible.
That's not surprising.
You've been through a real trauma.
Yeah. Grounded forever.
My parents won't even talk to me.
Well, I'm sorry to hear that.
You should be feeling their support right now.
Yeah, well, that kind of went out the window
when Brittany died falling out their window.
Plus, my dad seems more upset about his knives being stolen
than the fact that there's an active serial killer
loose in his son's high school.
Well, we don't know that for certain.
Let's just try to stick with the facts
in a rational way, okay?
But, right now, I'm more concerned about you..
...and your feelings of loss.
Lost my freedom.
For sure, that's a major problem.
Loss of your classmates.
Typically, someone in your position
is feeling angry at the person for leaving
and simultaneously feeling guilty
'for surviving.'
Yeah.
I mean, if I hadn't had that stupid party
maybe Brittany would still be alive.
Rudy, it's very important
that you don't blame yourself for any of this.
Nothing that you did caused any of this to happen.
Listen, I, I gotta get to class.
Rudy?
Please come back in again soon, okay?
You really do need a safe place to work through all this.
I will. For sure.
Thanks.
- What was that about? - What was what all about?
I just saw Rudy leaving here looking pretty upset.
Well, he came in for counseling.
Did he say anything that I should know about?
What we talk about is confidential.
Of course, I just thought kids were supposed to leave therapy
feeling better.
- Well, that depends. - On the therapist?
On what was discussed.
Well, if it's relevant to what's going on around here I--
It wasn't.
Rudy's in the middle of things.
Right smack in the middle.
And he's having a difficult time.
Sometimes a wound gets opened and, uh, it's a process.
I don't have time for your process, Emily.
I need to get to the bottom of this
before another tragedy happens
and I expect you to cooperate.
I'm doing exactly what I was brought here to do.
If you'd rather have someone else--
That's not what I'm saying.
Okay.
Well, then is there anything else?
I have to meet some kids for a group session now.
No.
[sighs] Look, Emily, I didn't mean to--
I'm sure you didn't.
This can be rough on everyone.
- Bit of advice? - Yeah.
You may wanna look into getting some therapy for yourself.
It can really help.
[Angela] 'I don't understand what you're asking me that for.'
I thought this was for your "#SquadGoal" blog?
It is. We're putting together a special
in his memory tribute for Jordan in the next post.
Okay, it just sounded more like you were suggesting
I had something to do with his death.
I'm not. I'm just asking
if you knew about the peanut residue in your lipstick.
I never used it before. How would I know?
It was our only dress rehearsal.
Which, by the way, is ridiculous.
What kind of drama program only has one dress?
God, I can't wait to get out of this pit.
And by the way, what the hell business is it of yours?
Whoa, take it easy, Angela.
[scoffs] I can't believe I'm even engaging with you geeks
right now, but let me ask you something.
Why on earth would I have wanted anything bad
to happen to Jordan?
He's one of the few people that...got this.
He got me.
Did you put in for the scholarship?
What, the World Patron's thing?
Of course not, my family is so not poor enough.
I'm truly sorry you're not poor. My condolences.
Screw you, Nate. It's time for my scene.
'Just so you know, I didn't have nearly enough time to prepare.'
I hate her.
But she didn't do it.
[bell rings]
[indistinct chatter]
- Did you hear? - What?
- Lance is transferring. - Really?
Yeah, I just saw him and his dad in the office.
- Wow! - I know.
What were you doing in the office, by the way?
That is a very good question, my friend.
Do you know who you're talking to?
- Who? - Captain Awesome.
Okay.
I just found out that I'm the California AP Scholar
of Math and Science. They just told me.
Captain Awesome, indeed.
Well, not to be crass or anything
but the scholarship list is now down to..
- Me, you, and Nate. - Yeah.
But I'll tell you what.
That whole California Scholar thing
that could put you over the top, man.
[cell phone rings]
[sighs] It's my dad. I'm still in lockdown.
Good luck with that.
Hey, dad. Guess what?
[Samantha] 'Hi, mom.'
In the kitchen.
- Hi. - Hi.
So, when were you gonna tell me?
About?
[chuckles] About Nate.
[laughs] I'm at your school.
I hear things.
He is cute, right?
And he's smart. Like scary smart, actually.
- Well, that's good. - Yeah, and he's really funny.
But also kind of dark and weird.
[laughs] Quirky.
- I like that. - Me too.
- Go slow. - Okay, mom.
And, uh, Nate's actually on the scholarship list, too
but, he says he's not gonna get it
because he's pissed too many people off.
[chuckles]
You know, speaking of the scholarship..
What?
Don't you think it's a little more than coincidental
that most of the people on it are either now off the list
or you know, dead?
Well, you're still only talking about two or three people.
Statistically, that's a small sample set.
So, we tested the lipstick
Angela Dodds used in the play.
You tested the lipstick?
For what?
And who is we?
Me, Nate, and Rudy.
Anyway, it came out positive for peanut residue.
Angela said she didn't know anything about it
'and I think she's telling the truth.'
This is not a game, Samantha.
This is as serious as it gets.
That's why we're doing all of this.
But you are not a detective.
If anything, you're interfering
with the police investigation.
What investigation?
Nobody's asking any questions. Nobody's doing anything.
Stop. This is not your job.
Your job is to get good grades
and get out of high school with a perfect resume.
Period.
You don't have to be a full-blown adult yet.
Trust me, it's overrated.
Anyway, how did you even test the lipstick?
They have allergy testing kits in the science lab.
Well, still, it doesn't prove anything.
We don't know how it got there.
It is strange though.
'I'll reach out to the detective'
they assigned to the case from the school, okay?
Thanks, mom.
[sighs]
Speaking of you getting out of high school..
...I have something for you..
...and I think you're gonna like it.
- It's thick. - 'Yes, it is.'
- Did you open it? - Damn right I did.
- Did I get in? - Yes, you did!
Oh!
[laughs]
- I'm so proud of you, honey. - Thanks, mom.
Not that I know how we're gonna afford it.
Oh!
Honey, scholarships
and loans and part-time jobs.
Where there's a will, there's a way.
Congratulations.
[chuckles]
- Tell me. - What?
- You got in? - Yeah.
- I got in! - 'Shh!'
[whispers] Girlfriend!
It's so awesome. I'm not sure if we can swing it though.
It's gonna put me in major debt.
You'll figure it out. I'm so happy for you.
- So, we're good? - I'm fine.
- I was just being a jerk. - No, I totally get it--
You don't even go there, I thought about it
and there is no way I'm letting a guy
come between me and my best friend.
We gotta go on Roommate Finder.
Dude, you gotta fill up that questionnaire right away
or you'll end up with some psycho.
'Right.'
[keys clacking]
[sighs]
- What? - Oh, nothing.
- It's just crazy. - Just tell me.
I guess I'm thinking about that photograph.
- Of Lance and Jordan? - Yeah.
[grunts] I don't know, that whole thing is just too weird.
What are you talking about?
'Nate took that shot of Jordan.'
'I saw it when I was on his computer.'
And the shot magically appears on Jordan's locker.
What, so you're saying you think
Nate had something to do with that?
Sam, next to you, he's my best friend.
I've known him longest, but, lately he's been acting weird.
And not like quirky weird but weird, weird.
- Come on, Gillian-- - 'Bitter and sarcastic--'
Gillian.
What did Ms. Desai say in Psy class?
That sarcasm is really hostility disguised as humor.
Sure, but--
'Okay, and think about who's, well, gone.'
- Okay. - 'Jordan.'
Nate hated Jordan because he thought he was full of crap.
Brittany, he hated all of her cutesy-wootsy cheerleader crap.
- Look, he didn't hate Lance. - No?
I keep forgetting you've only been here a few months.
Did you know that Lance and Nate used to be super close
not too long ago?
- No. - They were.
But then high school started
and they started to hang out with different crowds.
Lance chose to be with the beautiful people and the jocks
and Nate, he chose us.
So, yeah, there's some issues between Nate and Lance.
He thought he was a fair-weather friend.
Not to mention a liar.
This is too much, Gillian. No way.
I didn't wanna believe it either, Sam.
And you guys have this thing going on now and..
What, are you gonna say he hated Rudy too?
'Nate would never have let him get in trouble for that party.'
They're like brothers.
Whoever said it was about hate?
Maybe it's just about doing what you gotta do.
[knocks]
Oh, can you wait outside for just a minute
and I'll come get you when we're done? Thank you.
[sighs] So we have an issue.
- Two actually. - What?
'Well, number one'
the autopsy just came back on Brittany Gomez.
'She didn't die from the fall.'
Took them a while to find it
but she actually died from a stab wound.
Oh, my God!
Then I just got an anonymous email
that one of our students is dealing narcotics
out of his locker.
I showed IT and they said
it came from an untraceable address.
Read it for yourself.
[sighs]
- No way. - What the hell is going on?
I'm losing control of my school.
[gasps] Oh, my God.
What is it?
Excuse me. What are you doing in my locker?
- Did you hear? - Who died now?
- Lance. Kind of. - I heard about that.
- It's horrible. - No kidding.
I heard they're sending him to military school.
- Poor Lance. - Oh, hey, question.
How do you know Nate took this picture?
What do you mean?
Are you sure it was downloaded from his camera?
I'm photo editor for "Squad Goal," Sam.
- I download all of his stuff. - Oh. Right, sorry.
Did you guys hear?
About Lance? Yeah, it's horrible.
No, not Lance. I'm talking about Rudy.
What about Rudy?
Apparently, they discovered in the autopsy
that Brittany was stabbed before she fell.
- Are you kidding? - No.
They found a knife in Rudy's locker.
Supposedly, it matched the one
that Brittany was stabbed with.
- What? - We better go.
[male #5] 'Watch your head.'
What do you think you're doing?
I'm taking pictures for the school paper.
No, no more pictures. Get yourself back to class.
That goes for you guys too.
- Yes, ma'am. - I have a free.
Well, then just get yourself back inside. The show's over.
And if those pictures see the light of day anywhere
you're gonna be in a cell next to your buddy.
Get back in class!
All of you guys. Get back to class.
[indistinct chatter]
[sighs]
Hurry up!
There's no way Rudy brought in that knife.
- Absolutely no way. - He's so screwed now.
Forget the scholarship, that's over.
Even the schools that accepted him
are gonna rescind their offer.
Well, that's the least of his problems.
He's gonna be charged with a freakin' felony.
Unbelievable.
Someone had to have set him up.
Oh, no doubt. Let's meet back up after school.
Nate.
I know you took the photo of Lance and Jordan.
What about it?
Did you put it up on Lance's locker?
No, I would never do anything like that.
Did you ever share it with anyone?
- No. - You swear?
Positive. I separated it out.
I know how sensitive that is.
Okay. I gotta go.
- Let's talk later. - Okay.
Listen, detective, I am asking you
to please get back into this.
Because there was peanut residue on the lipstick.
Yes, I know that there was
because my daughter is a smart girl.
A whole lot smarter than..
Hmm.
Now I know why these kids have decided
to take matters into their own hands.
Thank you.
[cell phone chimes]
- Sam? - Hey.
So you're gonna tell me? The suspense is killing me.
It's Nate.
After everything you told me, I realized it's got to be him.
Why would he keep taking pictures of people dying?
And then he lied to me about sharing that picture with you
of Lance and Jordan.
And he has motive.
He needs that scholarship more than anyone else.
And what's scariest..
I'm the last one in line for the scholarship.
He gets rid of me, he's got it.
So I need to make sure he's busted before he can get to me.
Sam, I love you.
But you're kind of stupid, you know.
Frankly, I like the whole line questioning about downloading.
But that was a lie.
He had separated the Lance-Jordan pic.
[keys clacking]
[indistinct chatter]
Enjoying my computer?
Shared all the pics for the paper.
We're on deadline, Natie.
Gillian, what are you doing?
You know, you probably don't know this
but I used to call him Natie.
See, I didn't just arrive here six months ago
'with this girl-next-door look and sweep Nate off his feet.'
I've known him almost my entire life.
We went to kindergarten together.
Gillian, can we just settle down for a sec?
'It's a little late for that now, Sam, don't you think?'
- Gillian. - Gillian, Gillian.
Just shut up already!
Your charm's getting old, Sam.
You're supposed to be my best friend.
I am.
But best friends don't hook up with the guys
'their best friends are in love with.'
When the person who has known him their entire life
doesn't even get asked to her own prom?
- Gillian, I am your best-- - Wrong!
Nate is my best friend.
And my soulmate!
Sure, let's just..
Put down the knife so we can talk about it.
It's too late for talking now, Sam.
It's time for action.
'Here's the thing.'
Best friends do extra ordinary things for each other.
[indistinct chatter]
[dramatic music]
[gags]
Jordan!
Somebody, help me!
[ Gillian ] You plant knives in the locker of close friends just to help
the love of your life get the scholarship he deserved.
What are you doing in my locker?
[chuckles] I kept one of the knives for myself.
Sure, I'm glad I did.
'Your reporting skills aren't gonna help you today.'
Gillian, please.
Please what?
Best friends do whatever they have to do
to help the person they love.
Whether it's blackmail..
...or simply taking care of business.
Can I tell you something?
My idea was just to get Brittany wasted
and make an anonymous call to the police
that she was driving drunk.
But you know what?
But when that entitled, pretentious whore
just sat there whining on the windowsill
after all she's been given..
[Brittany screams]
Well, she just had to go.
It's now just down to you, Sam.
Last girl standing.
'And that won't be for long.'
Thank you, Gillian.
For what?
Confessing.
Nate, you get all that?
I got the whole thing.
'Sorry, Gillian, you're cooked.'
Really? You're gonna try to continue and humiliate me
after all that I've done for you?
- 'Put the knife down.' - You know what?
You both have to go.
[screaming]
- You're dead! - Ah!
Nate!
[grunting]
[Nate] Sam, watch out!
[grunting]
That hurt, Nate.
'Come on, Natie.'
[grunts]
No, no. No!
[Gillian] 'Natie, I loved you.'
Hey.
You okay?
Yeah. You?
Yeah, I think so.
[ Samant]a A few months ago when I began writing "#SquadGoals"
I didn't know what it would become.
To be honest, I was kind of hoping
it would be an opportunity for me
to, well, be discovered.
But as it turned out, I'm the one
who got to do the discovering
in that I solved a couple of murders
and won a couple of student journalism awards.
And to be honest, some of the things I discovered
were pretty ugly.
And, some things were pretty amazing.
I am thrilled to announce the winner
of the World Patron Scholars Award.
Samantha Hodges.
[crowd cheering]
But it was all a lesson in learning
one that I hope to continue in the next phase of my life.
A phase that this scholarship
which I've chosen to split three ways
will certainly make a whole lot more manageable.
Sure, a four-year ride would have been nice
but, the love and friendship of my squad
is a whole lot nicer.
[instrumental music]